KR20020080231A - Wearable computer and garment system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A wearable computer and protective clothing system is provided to easily access a computer or a communication device, to make the components of the computer for optimizing the comfort of users, to equally distribute mass to a vest, and to minimize the random working limit of a bulletproof and/or stab protection vest without an integrally wearable computer system. CONSTITUTION: A wearable computer(100) and a protective clothing system embedded with a user-support computer with protecting the computer from the threat of a sharp weapon is composed of a garment made of protective materials, the user-support computer, and components having an electrically connecting device connecting the computer to the components. In addition, the design is a portable computer system with all of the system components incorporated into an item of personal wear, for example into the garment such as a vest, shielded by a layer of armor. The armored protective clothing protects the user and completely encloses a processing unit, an input device, and a peripheral device attached to the processing unit.

Description

Wearable Computer and Protective Clothing System {WEARABLE COMPUTER AND GARMENT SYSTEM}

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to wearable or wearable computer or data entry systems and peripherals, the system comprising a wearer, such as a bullet / arm, nuclear, biological, and chemical attack, peripheral penetration, hostage threat, and It is incorporated into clothing that protects against risks to personal safety, such as signal / physical environmental monitoring of personal life threats.

There is an increasing tendency for soldiers and police to rely on computers and communication devices to improve their job performance. As an example, radio transceivers are generally attached to shirts worn by police officers. In addition, soldiers may be able to command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (generally C), especially where remote commanders can monitor and control soldiers on the battlefield. ⁴ I'm moving towards an information war with a system. Types of C ⁴ I peripherals that may be required by military personnel include tactical video or audio equipment, odor, sound or motion detection devices, video or audio capture, radios, listening devices, IR detection devices, night surveillance devices, etc. do. In addition, individual soldiers are often ordered to wear body protection equipment, such as bulletproof vests, on duty or in emergency situations.

In general, a person who wears protective clothing and wants to operate a computer's function can attach or support the wearable computer and the attached peripheral device to the wearer's clothing or self. Issues related to this include lack of protection from shocks due to blunt forces, lack of protection from environmental influences, and weakness due to exposed wiring, and physical disturbances.

One type of protective clothing is a recently sold ballistic vest, although the material is not made entirely of high tensile strength bulletproof polymer nonwovens or other protective materials, but is generally a protective layer overlaid with a fibrous layer. An example of such a nonwoven is KEVLAR, which has been successfully used as a military and police bulletproof vest because of the high energy absorption of textile materials. Many other types of body protection in accordance with the present invention include, but not exclusively, a number of materials such as fibers, ceramics, etc. to protect the wearer, such as those manufactured by Second Chance Body Armor of Central Lake, Michigan. Use Second Chance Body Armor's MONARCH Ultra PRO can be bulletproof from 9mm, 0.357 inches, 0.40 caliber and 0.44 Magnum pistols. Other types of body protection that may be used in the present invention include those sold by Point Blank Body Armor, Inc., Oakland Park, Florida. Any other suitable material can also be used if they have these desired characteristics. However, these garments were not configured to use a wearable computer.

Protective materials are known in the art that are designed to allow the wearer to be protected without injury. This type of raid differs from a bullet in that the energy of the stabbing object is concentrated on a much smaller surface area, such as the tip of an ice puncture, nail, or the like. An example of this is the product sold under the product name PRISM at Second Chance Body Armor, Central Lake, Michigan, described in US Pat. No. 5,960,470 to Bachner. The patent granted to Bachner describes an anti-penetration garment comprising a plurality of layers of flexible nonwoven fabric arranged to overlap each other to form a perforated panel, wherein each of the plurality of nonwoven fabrics is formed of heat resistant fibers and The nonwoven is woven from at least 60 said heat resistant fibers per inch in one direction and at least 60 said heat resistant fibers per inch in the other direction transverse to the first direction. Any other suitable material can also be used if it has these desired properties. Also, this type of garment has not been configured to utilize a wearable computer.

Wearable or user-supported personal computers are well known in the art and are of increasing importance. Examples of user-supported personal computers include U.S. Patent No. 5,305,244 (Newman I) describing voice-activated user-supported computers (mobile computers) and hands-free wear to the body without relying on keyboard input or operating devices. US Pat. No. 5,844,824 (Newman II) describing computer systems, both of which are assigned to Governor Corporation, Fairfax, Virginia. The disclosures of US Pat. Nos. 5,305,244 and 5,844,824, co-owners of these patents, are incorporated herein.

See also US Pat. Nos. 5,285,398 (Janik I), 5,491,651 (Janik II), 5,581,492 (Janik III), 5,798,907 (Janik IV), 5,555,490 (Carroll I), and 5,572,401 (Caroll II). Wearable computer). Each patent granted to Janik describes a belt computer that includes computer elements or components. For example, in Janik I's patent, a plurality of computer elements are placed on the belt and flexible signal relay means connect all the elements to operate. A protective cover is used to surround the computer element. The Janik II patent describes a similar belt computer, in which the length of the signal relay means between any two computer elements is longer than the length of the wearable member between any two computer elements. In each of Janik's patents, a flexible wearable computer is in the form of a relatively heavy belt that includes computer elements positioned in order on their periphery.

Both patents of Carroll I and Carroll II describe wearable support and interconnect structures for modular microcomputer systems having a plurality of microcomputer cards embedded in a plurality of microcomputer card pockets in wearable garments. Examples of such garments include flexible garments (vests) worn on the user's body, hats or belts that fit snugly against the user's head. In one embodiment, the pocket is linked by a plurality of channels extending from the pocket to the lower pocket to secure the electronic link system to the wearable garment. The link system includes a plurality of flat flexible cables that surround the flexible circuit and the micro computer card connector. Card connectors open into each pocket to receive the microcomputer card. Each connector is operable and is coupled to a cable to form a microcomputer system that operates when the microcomputer card is placed in the connector and powered.

Wearable computers and garments in the patents issued to Janik and Carrol are described as being included in a flexible or flexible housing. These computers and garments are neither protected with material that prevents bullets from penetrating, nor are they integrated into protective clothing, and thus do not provide a level of protection suitable for police or military duties.

Next, another example in which a computer device and a peripheral device are coupled to a garment worn by a user is described. Suzuki, US Pat. No. 4,876,724, describes a personal sound system hidden within a garment, such as a jacket or vest. Specifically, the sound system includes a battery power supply, an amplifier, a CD player, a tape player, and a loudspeaker disposed between pockets of Velcro or zippered pockets formed in the front, sleeve, and back of the garment. It consists of. The electrical wires connecting these components are not protected because they extend around the garment covered with a fabric flap that is snapped or velcro fastened.

United States Patent No. 5,416,310 to Little is described in a portable data input device or computer system consisting of a display module and a processing module comprising an input device such as a keyboard or scanner that can be supported or secured to a garment such as a vest. . System components can be housed in a pocket of clothing when not in use. When not using the system, the display is still in the pocket but the display can be flipped up so that the displayed data can be viewed by the operator. The system battery is contained in one or more separate pockets in the garment and both signals and power between the various components are connected by flexible cables coupled within the garment.

Wessling III, US Pat. No. 5,774,338, describes a unitary electronic package housing formed from a cloth such as a user's garment, such as a poncho or vest, and including a front pocket or flap covering the user's body chest and midriff. It is. The electronic module is contained in several pockets or flaps. Each module is individually supported on the fabric in the pocket by hook and loop fasteners or other suitable types of fasteners.

Recently, Levi Strauss teamed up with Philips NV to create Levi's ICD +, a jacket with a built-in communication system. The jacket is commercially available only with a special pocket for simple gadgets, but it provides a complete personal area network that serves as the backbone for electronics. The jacket has a communication system connecting mobile phones, MP3 players, speakers, microphones, and built-in displays. Wiring is concealed in the fabric and the device is operated by a remote control unit.

However, prior art garments incorporating a computer system provide bullets and sharp weapons required by numerous soldiers and police when computer components and / or wearers need protection from shock, shock, environmental hazards, field conditions, and tactical environments. It is not sufficiently protected from being stabbed by. Thus, it is necessary to incorporate a wearable computer and / or a C ⁴ I peripheral in a protective suit.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wearable computer and garment system which overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide new wearable computers and garment systems.

Another object of the present invention is to integrate a wearable computer system into a personal protective and / or concealment garment.

Another object of the present invention is to enhance the functionality of personal protective clothing by allowing a user to access a computer and / or computer peripherals.

It is yet another object of the present invention to improve the durability of the wearable computer and its components by adding exterior, shock, and weather protection to the computer system.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new wearable computer and garment system in which no wearer is found and is free from harm from bullets, sharp weapons and / or NBC attacks.

The above object and further object of the present invention is to provide for the integration of all system components in a personal garment, for example a garment such as a vest-type garment, a protective jacket, etc., shielded with a layer of sheath or protective fiber, material, synthetic material such that the wearer is not threatened. Typically achieved by a wearable computer system and / or a C ⁴ I device. The outer fibers of the garment may be made of other types of materials that are camouflaged or concealed so that the wearer is not found. The armored armor fully supports the processing unit, input unit, and any C ⁴ I or peripherals attached to the processing unit, and these components do not inadvertently fall out of the garment, but can be selectively removed by the user. Supported.

One or more batteries, power sources, or power generating devices in the pocket or supported by the garment or wearer provide all of the operating power for the system. Cables or conductors may be sewn in the channels or tracks of the garment, woven into the fibers of the garment, or conducted through the garment. As an alternative, the electrical connection may be wireless, including for example a Bluetooth or Bluetooth-type protocol, including any suitable type of electrical connection means, or any known or future wireless protocol may be used.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a police officer, guard or soldier wears a vest with embedded components of a wearable computer and / or C ⁴ I peripheral device. Not only are they provided with the same level of protection provided by a ballistic and / or stab resistant vest in accordance with the technology, but they are also substantially hands-free and effortlessly accessible to computers and communication means. The components of the computer are distributed in the vest for optimal wearer comfort and mass balance, while minimizing any motion limitations on simple bulletproof and / or stab vests without an integral wearable computer system. Do. In an alternative or improved example of an embodiment according to the present invention, the garment may be a garment such as a garment worn by a person working in an environment in which the environment is exposed to nucleus, organisms and / or chemicals rather than a bulletproof vest. In this embodiment, the garment integrally includes a wearable computer component and / or a C ⁴ I peripheral device. The garment may contain a wearable computer device in a pocket component or the device may be integrated into the garment.

Lightweight displays are used in the present invention including head mounted displays, flat panel displays, wrist worn displays, torso displays, neck or collar mounted displays, shoulder-supported displays, and the like, as well as composite displays thereof. Each display may be wirelessly connected or wired to a computer device, if appropriate, or properly configured with functional units.

The above and further objects and advantages, together with the structural features of the present invention briefly summarized in the foregoing description, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description which has been described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. will be.

1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention comprising a body protection vest associated with a wearable computer and / or a C ⁴ I peripheral;

2 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention showing the top end of a body protection vest detailing the channel of the cable passing through the strap and garment;

3 is an illustration of another embodiment of the present invention that includes a protective jacket coupled with a wearable computer and / or a C ⁴ I peripheral device.

4 is a detailed view of the first embodiment of the present invention showing a protective pocket with a wearable computer and / or a C ⁴ I peripheral device incorporated therein;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of another embodiment of the present invention that includes a garment that is protected from nuclear, biological, and / or chemical attack and includes a wearable computer and / or a C ⁴ I peripheral device.

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention including a body armor vest with a wearable computer 100 coupled thereto. Body protection vests are the same as conventional designs in that they protect the body and have a shoulder strap. Body armor is generally indicated by reference numeral 101 and is generally composed of a front portion 102 and a rear portion 103. These front and back portions are supported by the wearer with shoulder straps 104 and 105 and secured around the wearer's torso with side straps 106 and 107. This strap may have a Velcro fastener or any other garment connecting means to be used to secure the front and rear portions together. Body armor is constructed to prevent bullets from penetrating and to prevent the tip of the ice-breaker, awl, shank, knife, etc. from being pierced by a sharp object. The body armor also has a trauma protection chamber, such as a breastplate 108 that fits within a breastplate pocket 109. The trauma protection chamber provides additional protection with soft or hard protective clothing as well as puncture-resistant materials such as PRISM, available from Second Chance Body Armor Inc. in Central Lake, Michigan. The body armor configuration is merely exemplary. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any type of protective clothing may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Body armor also has additional pockets 111 for containing computer device 110, batteries, other computer components, or any C ⁴ I peripheral device. By computer device is meant a computer equipped with conventional general-purpose computer components such as a central processing unit, internal storage means, memory means, operating means, display controller, input / output means, peripheral connection means, and the like. The general purpose computer of the present invention is of the type described in US Pat. Nos. 5,305,244 and 5,844,824 and is incorporated herein by reference. Cables 112 that provide power and transmit data are woven into the fibers of the garment or inserted into the protective channel of the garment.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the upper end of body armor 200 of the first embodiment, with epaulettes and cable channels through the garments illustrated in detail. Epaulette 201 is sewn to each shoulder portion of the garment. The strap allows the head mounted display (HMD) 202, microphone headset, or other device to be placed in a location where the wearer's hand can easily reach. An example of an HMD is the type described in US Pat. No. 5,844,656, which is incorporated herein by reference. Also shown in FIG. 2 is the channel portion of the garment 203 with all the cables laid. This ensures that cables are not unnecessarily exposed and do not disturb the user.

FIG. 3 illustrates a protective jacket incorporating a wearable computer, denoted 300, of another embodiment of the present invention, including a protective jacket, generally coupled to the wearable computer 300, of the present invention. It is a figure of another embodiment. The jacket is of conventional design including a form-fitting, waist-length, or trench coat length design, except that the jacket is lined with protective panels and configured to support the computer system and / or the C ⁴ I peripheral. The protective clothing is essentially the same configuration as described above. The jacket has a plurality of pockets 301 for containing a computer system and / or a C ⁴ I peripheral as in the vest embodiment.

4 is a detailed view of a protective pocket 400 in which a wearable computer and / or a C ⁴ I peripheral device are incorporated. The protective pocket can also contain any C ⁴ I peripheral. The wearable computer 401 is protected by a three layer system coupled in a pocket. The first layer 402 is a flexible or rigid protective layer depending on the degree of protection desired. This layer not only protects against blunt forces and puncture impacts, but also wires and other computer components. Body protective clothing useful for this purpose is sold by Second Chance Body Armor, Inc. under the product names MONARCH Ultra PRO and MONARCH "+ P +".

The second layer 410 is a lightweight, flexible synthetic material layer that is used to dissipate heat and protects from impact. Preferably, materials that may be used include thermoplastic polyurethane honeycomb sandwiches sold under the trade name TPU from Hexel Corporation of Plantation, California. Thermoplastic polyurethane honeycombs are preferred because they absorb energy, are flexible, can withstand impact, and are lightweight. In addition, the flexible sheet integrally fused to the hexagonal open cell is able to withstand fatigue and is elastically returned to its original state after being shocked by a dull object. However, any other suitable material may be used if it includes the desired features. The flexible and elastic sheet 410, which preferably has a honeycomb structure, is integrally constructed in an array of hexagonal open cell 411 fused together around the wall 412 of the cell 411 forming the thermoplastic polyurethane core. . In order to be able to adequately withstand the impact of the impact of a dull object, approximately 1/16 (0.0625) to 0.25 inches is suitable for the range of dimensions across one hexagonal cell. The side wall height of the hexagonal cell of thermoplastic polyurethane is preferably in the range of approximately 0.25 to 0.5 inches.

The last layer 420 is a layer of waterproof / weather resistant material such as Gore-Tex or other similar breathing material. This layer protects the wearer and electronic components from bad weather.

5 is a diagram of another embodiment of the present invention that includes a garment-supported wearable computer and / or a C ⁴ I peripheral device that protects the wearer and the wearer's computer device from nuclear, biological, and / or chemical threats. The computer-supported garment of this embodiment is generally denoted by the numeral 500. The garment is of conventional design, generally composed of nonporous and non-foamable synthetic polymer materials such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, acrylamide polymers, polyurethanes and the like. Any other non-porous material may be used that is sufficiently high in water permeability to effectively control body heat by the process of removing sweat and heat. This garment is combined with additives such as activated carbon and / or any other substance that can absorb, detoxify or react with non-toxic or toxic chemicals or biological substances present in the atmosphere. This garment generally includes a plurality of pockets, shown at 501. The pocket is fully equipped with a wearable computer and a C ⁴ I peripheral.

Accordingly, embodiments in accordance with the invention are illustrative only and not limiting, the scope of the invention being set forth in the claims rather than the foregoing description. All changes which come without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims are intended to be included herein.

The vest incorporating the components of the wearable computer and / or C ⁴ I peripheral of the present invention is not only provided with the same level of protection provided by a bulletproof and / or stab vest but also substantially hands-free and effortlessly computer and communications. Access to means. The components of the computer are distributed in the vest to optimize the wearer's comfort and balance the mass while minimizing any operational limitations on a simple bulletproof and / or stab vest without an integral wearable computer system.

Claims (19)

A system in which a user-assisted computer is embedded and in which the user and the computer are protected from sharp threats, Clothing necessarily consisting of a protective material, and User-supported computers and components, the components comprising electrical connection means for connecting said computer to said components, Including, The computer and components attached to the garment and protected from impact by the garment system. The method of claim 1, And wherein the protective material has a primary protective property selected from the group consisting of bullet penetration prevention, puncture prevention, nuclear protection, biological protection, chemical protection material, and mixtures thereof. The method of claim 2, The protective material is camouflaged. The method of claim 1, And wherein said garment is selected from the group consisting of a vest, a jacket, and these blended garments. The method of claim 1, A system in which cables are woven into the garment. The method of claim 1, And the component comprises a display device. The method of claim 6, The display device is selected from the group consisting of head mounted displays, flat panel displays, wrist displays, torso woven displays, necklace displays, collar mounted displays, shoulder supported displays, and composites thereof. The method of claim 7, wherein A system in which a genital head mounted display can optionally be attached to the garment's straps. A method of protecting a user-supported general purpose computer by constructing a computer support structure in a bulletproof vest, Embedding the computer in the pocket of the vest, Adding a first protective layer to a computer comprised of a lightweight impact absorbing synthetic material, Adding a second protective layer to the computer with a soft or rigid sheath, and Adding a third protective layer to the computer using weatherproof fibers Containing Protection method. Apparel comprising wearable computers and components configured in a bulletproof vest. The method of claim 10, Apparel to which the computer and its components are connected by woven electrical cables inside the garment. The method of claim 10, Garment which is protected by a weatherproof fibrous layer and / or a hidden or camouflaged fibrous layer. In a wearable protective clothing comprising a combination of wearable clothing and a general purpose computer, The wearable garment consists of a material that substantially prevents bullets from penetrating, The general purpose computer is selected from the group consisting of a built-in computer, detachable computer components electrically connected to each other, and a composite thereof, The garment comprises a pocket containing the general purpose computer and a battery, The general purpose computer has an electrical connection to the battery and to the wearer-supported display. Protective clothing. The method of claim 13, The garment consists of at least two different layers of material, At least one of said layers is a protective layer and at least another layer is a weatherproof, hidden or camouflaged material. The method of claim 13, The garment comprises at least three layers of material, a layer having heat dissipation properties, an impingement protection layer, and a layer protected from rain and members. The method of claim 13, And wherein said display is selected from the group consisting of head mounted displays, flat panel displays, wrist mounted displays, necklace displays and composites thereof. The method of claim 13, Protective clothing that the electrical connection is connected by wire. The method of claim 13, Protective clothing wherein the electrical connection is wirelessly connected. The method of claim 13, Protective clothing wherein the wearable garment comprises communication means electrically connected to the general purpose computer.